Sandy Alderson will miss the GM meetings because of a ‘medical procedure,’ but the Mets aren’t saying if it’s related to his recent fainting spell. (Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)

BOCA RATON, Fla. — It will be business as usual for the Mets at this year's GM meetings, only the GM won't be there.

With the annual gathering of baseball execs starting Monday night, Sandy Alderson was back in New York to undergo a medical procedure. In his stead was assistant GM John Ricco — along with J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta — who told reporters the Mets have already started their offseason work, saying they have been in contact with representatives of free agents Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy, "as the normal course of business."

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"We've touched base with most of our free agents," Ricco said. "It will be on-going discussions."

Ricco said the one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer would not be the only way Murphy could return to the Mets, but that first they would have to see if he accepts or rejects the offer by the Saturday deadline.

"I've been around long enough to know different things can happen," Ricco said.

Ricco called the big four rotation of Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz a "hot commodity," right now, and while Alderson said last week he was highly unlikely to trade any of the four, Ricco said they were too early in the process to know exactly what their plans for the offseason are.

Sandy Alderson collapses and is helped up by reporters after a press conference at Citi Field. (Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News)

"We're also looking for ways to add depth and flexibility. Not filling in holes, but looking for players that compliment," Ricco said. "We are trying to be more creative."

As for Alderson, Ricco wouldn't say whether it was related to last week's incident in which Alderson passed out during a press conference. "He had a medical procedure that was scheduled for after the season ended and because of the playoff run it kept getting pushed and pushed — obviously for good reason," Ricco said. "So he's going to have it done this week. We'll be in contact with him. He feels comfortable that we're down here. We're a pretty veteran group."

Asked directly if Alderson's issue was connected to last week's incident, Ricco kept it vague.

"I'm just going to keep it to that, just respect Sandy's privacy on this one," Ricco said.

NO SURGERY: Ricco said that, as expected, Juan Lagares' elbow was checked out and the center fielder does not need surgery. The Mets will be looking at different ways for him to get back his impressive throwing game from 2013.